Thestrals
by Lady Akita
Summary: Sequel to Shinigami, Come Home. Story currently on hold. I am going to finish this, but real life has unfortunately taken me by the throat. Gak.
1. Compound Misery

Title: Thestrals  
  
Author: Lady Akita  
  
Rating: Story – R; Chapter – PG-13  
  
Warnings: Wufei-centric, Adventure, Mystery, Mayhem, Wise-cracking Heero, etc...  
  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC/Endless Waltz are the property of Bandai, Sunrise and other large corporations both Japanese and American that have no idea I am writing this. I am making no money from this. My personal characters, those not from the TV show, are my property. As is the present storyline. Take it and die. "Thestrals" are the property of J.K. Roling and her Harry Potter franchise.  
  
Summary: Sequel to Shinigami, Come Home. A beaten and almost thoroughly broken Chang Wufei is a Preventer Agent Third Class, unlike that of his former -fellow pilots, all of whom have risen to high ranking places within the organization. When he is partnered with smart-mouthed, devilish Preventer First Class Heero Yuy after being pulled from a six month assignment that has taken over his life, he finds himself being transported to the main colony of the L2 cluster where he is forced to find out just who he is able to trust. What he finds may force him to return to a life he thought he'd left behind forever.  
  
Notes: To understand the background of this story, especially after Wufei and Heero arrive at L2, it is essential that you have read Shinigami, Come Home. Otherwise, you will find yourself lost and I'm not going to explain anything. Rupert Gelding, his secretary, and Lucifer are all my personal characters. Any similarities to any persons living or dead are merely coincidental. "Thestrals" are winged, horse-like creatures who are invisible to those who have not seen death and are visible by those who have.  
  
Chapter One – Compound Misery   
  
It wasn't up to him to question Une in anyway, she was the Commander after all, and he just a lowly Preventer Third Class. Lowly as in he hadn't earned the right to a fancy title like the majority of his social circle. But even his normally stoic, expressionless mask had to drop when she just pulled him out of the assignment she'd placed him with six-months ago. To send him to L2 none the less, a colony cluster that 'Commander' Rupert Gelding had turned in a complete 180 from where it had been prior to the post-Alliance/Oz/White Fang days.  
  
As soon as he was back inside his 'office', one of dozens of cubicles on the main office floor of Preventer Headquarters, he allowed himself to feel a bit of his relief for the simple fact that Une hadn't tired to pip him a new one for questioning her. Though he was enough of a man to admit that perhaps 'questioning' was putting it far too mildly. Perhaps 'ranting and raving' would be a better, more accurate way of phrasing it.  
  
He shook himself out of his thoughts and moved to his desk chair, absently avoiding the large pile of boxes, all full of back files he had been logging through, automatically straightening the photograph that Ermine, the agent next-door, kept jarring. He also noted that the tree-plant that had been a gag-gift from Evans needed to be watered again before he sat down at his cluttered desk.  
  
He had to resist the overwhelming temptation to drop his head to his hands, but he managed to push to temptation away in order to start working on a summary of his conclusions thus far of a case that had become his life these last months. He only had a few hours until he had to report for his shuttle and the files, along with his work and the summary had to be to his replacement agent prior to that or he'd have even more trouble falling around his ears.  
  
"Yo, Chang! Still swamped?" Agent Mercy, aka Charles Evans, laughed as he stuck his head into the cubicle. "That's too bad, looks as though you'll be here forever!"  
  
Behind Evans, he could hear the rest of, what he called, the 'Laugh Pack' chuckling along with Evan's and his comments. It took what was left of his resolve to refrain from doing anything stupid, like killing or otherwise injuring Evans and his buddies. He didn't need Une or the rest of the Board thinking he lived up to what they thought of him. And they all believed that he was blind and otherwise unknowing to the rumors that circulated around him and his past experiences.  
  
Instead, he continued on with his work without a word to Evans, now transferring what data files he had on the case into a folder with the summary so that it all could be sent off together. He'd grab a rookie or two to lug the boxes to wherever they were needed. It was too bad Une hadn't reassigned the assignment to Evans. Watching him fail with flying colors would have been beautiful. Though having it sent to Trekton would be just as amusing.  
  
"What is this, Chang? Cat got your tongue?" Evans taunted.  
  
He turned from his desk to glare at Evans. "I don't have time for you today Evans. Get lost." He watched, more amused than threatened when Evans' face began to turn a dark shade of red.  
  
"There a problem here Chang." A new voice broke in. It was Heero Yuy, dressed in civilian gear. Wufei noted that the question wasn't really a question when he shook his head.  
  
"No Yuy, nothing I haven't handled before."  
  
"Really?" Evans asked with a smirk, his coloring returning to normal now that he was so sure that Heero Yuy was going to lay into Chang. "Are you implying something about your superior agent, Chang?"  
  
"No, merely a higher ranking agent, Mercy." Heero drawled. "In experience alone, Chang's got three-fourths of this building outclassed. Especially you and your friends. That's not even mentioning that he's forgotten more about this job than you'll ever know." Evan's face was back to that splendid color of crimson as he stared at Heero in shock. He'd been expecting Yuy to light into Chang for insulting a higher ranking agent. Heero just smirked at his expression. "Best get lost Mercy, before I decide to hand out overtime to you freeloaders."  
  
Evans face darkened at the remark as he glared at Heero before turning away. The agents knew better than to attempt anything with Agent Cold. The last agent was still healing his broken bones from his 'training session' with the former Wing Pilot. But Evans sent a warning glare to Wufei before he disappeared behind one of the other cubicles. Wufei rolled his eyes at the threat, knowing that if anything or anyone attacked him, they'd end up in worse shape than if Heero got a hold of them. Chang Wufei wasn't the best trained martial artist in the building after all.  
  
With Evans gone, Wufei turned his gaze to Heero, who was looking around the crowded space with thinly veiled surprise. Wufei's expression turned almost pained as he watched the First Class Agent take in the boxes, plant, photo and clutter. Normally the small space would have been regulation clean, but with the case he'd been on, Wufei had had no time to clean or organize the space.  
  
"Une hasn't moved you to an office yet?" He was asked.  
  
Wufei didn't try to hold back the snort. "Only Second Class and higher ranking agents have offices Yuy. You know as well as everyone else in this damnable building that I'm a Third Class Agent." He kept his tone polite, but harsh, hoping the other agent would leave so he could finish his work. "If you don't mind Yuy, I've been reassigned and I've paperwork to finish before my shuttle."  
  
"Our shuttle." Heero corrected absently, stepping into the cubicle and taking the photograph off of the wall. It was a photograph of the five Gundam Pilots that Sally Po had taken at one of the celebration parties after the reinstatement of the ESUN government. It was one of his most fond memories, depicting a time when he and the other pilots had been on the same level; when he had believed that he had found a family that he could actually put his trust in. He had another copy of it sitting on his bedside table back in his quarters elsewhere in the building. Whenever he couldn't sleep, or the stress of life and the job got to him, he'd take it out and stare at the five young men, just entering their twenties, who had been at the top of the world. The carefree smiles on Duo's and Quatre's faces, the knowing grin and smirk on Trowa's and his respectively and the devilish smirk on Heero's often helped calm him. Often it would also remind him of a time when there was still hope for him in the world, though he had relatively little of it now.  
  
"I remember that party well." Heero remarked. "We were almost a family." Wufei cringed at the world 'almost'. "Too bad time and bureaucrats stepped in." Heero ran a light finger over the frame before hanging it back on the wall. Then he turned to Wufei.  
  
There was a noticeable shift in the other man's demeanor when he turned to face Wufei, and he couldn't help tensing, waiting for a snide comment or reprimand. What he got surprised him and caused the faint hope left in his heart to flair.  
  
"I'll have a long talk with Une when we get back from L2 Wufei. It's high time that you were recognized for what you've done and respected for your skills." Heero stated, nonchalant. "Until then, we've a job to complete." He held a small object out to him and Wufei recognized it as a data-ring immediately. Data-rings were used only for the topmost top-secret information, which he knew well enough because he wore one on his right hand that contained all of his personal data, files and musings.  
  
"This contains our mission specs. Une swears that she forgot to give it to you." Heero rolled his eyes. "We have a private cabin on the shuttle, so you'll have a chance to go over it in detail there. We have an escort to the shuttleport leaving from the main entrance at 0600. Anything you want to add?"  
  
"No sir." He said, barely managing to hold back a scowl.  
  
"Not 'sir'. Heero or Yuy, Wufei." Heero sighed. "I've a few things to do prior to lift off. I'll meet you in the lobby at 0545 for the escort."  
  
He nodded. "Of course..Yuy."  
  
Heero nodded in return and left, though Wufei could hear him muttering something along the lines of, "A very long talk with that bitch."  
  
As soon as Heero Yuy had left, Chang Wufei gave a silent curse and finally let himself give into his earlier desire. As he cradled his head in his hands, the new data-ring gleamed obscenely from his left hand.  
  
End Chapter 1 


	2. Broken Boundaries

Title: Thestrals  
  
Author: Lady Akita  
  
Rating: Story – R; Chapter – PG-13  
  
Warnings: Wufei-centric, Adventure, Mystery, Mayhem, Wise-cracking Heero, Original Characters etc...  
  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC/Endless Waltz are the property of Bandai, Sunrise and other large corporations both Japanese and American that have no idea I am writing this. I am making no money from this. My personal characters, those not from the TV show, are my property. As is the present storyline. Take it and die. "Thestrals" are the property of J.K. Roling and her Harry Potter franchise.  
  
Summary: Sequel to Shinigami, Come Home. A beaten and almost thoroughly broken Chang Wufei is a Preventer Agent Third Class, unlike that of his former -fellow pilots, all of whom have risen to high ranking places within the organization. When he is partnered with smart-mouthed, devilish Preventer First Class Heero Yuy after being pulled from a six month assignment that has taken over his life, he finds himself being transported to the main colony of the L2 cluster where he is forced to find out just who he is able to trust. What he finds may force him to return to a life he thought he'd left behind forever.  
  
Notes: To understand the background of this story, especially after Wufei and Heero arrive at L2, it is essential that you have read Shinigami, Come Home. Otherwise, you will find yourself lost and I'm not going to explain anything. Rupert Gelding, his secretary, and Lucifer are all my personal characters. Any similarities to any persons living or dead are merely coincidental. "Thestrals" are winged, horse-like creatures who are invisible to those who have not seen death and are visible by those who have.  
  
I forgot to mention in the last chapter that this story begins almost directly after Shinigami, Come Home. Please read that first. As another side note, I'd started this chapter out a few nights ago, and saved it to a disk. Unfortunately, the file ended up being corrupted, so I lost all that work. I'm going to attempt to work back up to the quality of what I had had, but unfortunately, I can not remember what most of it was. This will be touch and go people.  
  
And a big thank you to those who reviewed. They really made my day to read that you liked what I wrote.   
  
Chapter 2 – Broken Boundaries   
  
As the shuttle climbed its way through the atmosphere toward space and the wayward colony, Wufei began feeling steadily worse. Dealing with Une and Evans never meant a good day, and having dealt with them both only hours previous seemed an ill omen to the nauseous agent. However, he was finding it hard to distinguish whether he felt this bad due to the badly filtrated air circulating the private shuttle cabin, or the lumpy, uncomfortable seat he'd been shown to, Heero Yuy's infuriatingly focused presence across from him, or if it was the information that his mission specs were currently providing him. Wufei was of the mind that the latter two were the causes of his discomfort, as during his terrorist days, he'd spent longer in worse conditions than these.  
  
Heero shifted in his seat across from him, drawing Wufei's attention from the disturbing information on his computer screen. Heero's focus was on his own laptop, a staple even after the almost ten years since the wars. Wufei took the opportunity to look at his former friend and comrade and now current partner without Heero's express knowledge or disapproval. He was still very handsome, having grown into his boyish good looks. His face and facial features were strong and solid, much like the lean muscles that covered his body. Wufei knew that most women, and quite a few men, considered Heero Yuy to be something of the perfect man – strong, muscular, possessing a golden skin tone and dark features that portrayed an air of mystery and seductive allure. Of course Heero knew that people thought of him in this way and he never failed to use it against them if the occasion arose. Wufei knew this from experience.  
  
Heero Yuy was no longer the mentally and emotionally stinted young man who once flew the death machine known simply as Wing Zero. Heero Yuy was now a 25-year-old man, his own man, fully capable in all areas of life and he was one of the few people, men or women, that Wufei knew who possessed a keen mind and body for seductions, betrayals and successes. Wufei counted only three men and two women at Heero's level, and that was just on principle.  
  
Heero looked up abruptly from his work and smirked when he caught Wufei staring. Wufei was unable to hide the flinch that came in reaction to that smirk, and he returned his gaze to his computer screen almost immediately. Heero let him work in peace for a few minutes, studying him intently; Wufei could feel Heero's eyes boring into his skull. Wufei did his best to ignore it, as he always did when Heero acted this way. Normally this would preclude an argument of some sort, but it had been months since the last time that he'd seen the other man, Heero was always off on one mission or another, and Wufei couldn't be certain that their old behavioral patterns would continue.  
  
"What do you think?" Heero asked, just as abruptly as he had looked up from his laptop. Wufei looked up as well and was surprised to find that Heero's smirk was gone to be replaced with his old 'focused-on-the-mission' face, something Wufei hadn't seen since during the last time they'd saved the world.  
  
Wufei knew that Heero was asking about the mission, and he found it hard to focus on the task at hand. Something was up, more so than what the specs were presenting them with and Wufei had a bad feeling about the space of the next few weeks. Hell, the specs were giving him enough to know that he'd have a rough couple of weeks ahead of him without going into the personal and interpersonal.  
  
The mission was a simple one – bring down one Lucifer Yoiki and his constituents and whatever activities he was involved with. Unfortunately, that was the only simple part of the mission. Lucifer Yoiki was a former Alliance officer who'd been pushed out of the service by Treize and the Oz factions during the first Eve War. Yoiki then found himself within the underground crime world, a position the Preventers had been unable to explain, but from there he worked himself into a position of power and had been charged with numerous crimes, including that of weapons smuggling and attempted coups against whichever government happened to be in power.  
  
However, those were the days before Yoiki had stumbled upon his true seed of power – human merchandising. Though the world was highly sophisticated and technologically advanced, human bondism had continued to exist along the same lines of crime, murder and drug usage. When Yoiki discovered what a valuable commodity human flesh was to the underground market, he came upon the cornerstone. He now stood as the most important 'Master', a term Yoiki insisted be used in reference, in the trade, that on top the normal underground fares. To top it all off, Yoiki hadn't forgotten his attempted revolts. Instead he'd found himself with an inexhaustible source of manpower and his own personal wealth was more than enough to finance his personal vendetta. All in all, the information pointed to Yoiki starting another coup, only doing it without underling fanatics, which made him all that more dangerous.  
  
Simply, Wufei was disgusted and very worried. This was not a man who would be easy to beat, not at a game he'd been playing for the last ten years. The only possible way to win this and accomplish their mission was to beat Yoiki at his own fame. If their informant didn't have more information for them or even a feasible plan, they and the world were looking at another war. He expressed the same to Heero.  
  
Heero nodded. "I thought the same thing myself." He returned to his computer screen, the seconds stretching into minutes. Wufei waited for another response, question or possibly even a comment, but found none forthcoming. The nausea he'd been experiencing since his meeting with Une earlier that day was quickly being pushed aside for the rising anger that he'd learned to keep hidden ever since the day that one Duo Maxwell had walked out of all of their lives. Chang Wufei was once a man known for his short temper and harsh, honest words, but time and the events spanning the two years since Maxwell's disappearance had bent and broken the once strong man into the quiet downtrodden figure now seated in front of Heero Yuy on a commercial flight to L2 Colony XE289839. Only twice in those years had Wufei lost his temper, showing a spark of who he had once been, the first when a trainee had been fool enough to press an insult on the past abilities of the Gundam Pilots, the second when he'd learned first handedly that Heero Yuy was a man who took his opportunities, no matter who had to fall for him to do so.  
  
"What the hell are you doing Yuy." Wufei snapped, anger flashing in his eyes and soaking his words, turning the question into a flat statement that demanded an answer and told it all in the same moment.  
  
Heero looked up in surprise at the tone of the question-statement. Across from him, the Gundam Pilot-turned-meek-agent glared at him, a black fire smoldering within the dark depths of his partner's eyes. Even Wufei's face was flush with his impassioned fury, something Heero did not quite understand, for all that he was given to picking up on people's emotionality's. The flush also reminded him of a time when the two of them held a partnership between them that didn't hold the taint of betrayal or pain.  
  
"Don't stare at me in that manner Yuy. You forfeited your right to do so when you walked on to your new-cushy position at my expense. And save me your useless drivel." Wufei snapped in a tone so rough and low that he almost seemed to be growling. "Answer the question."  
  
Heero choose to smirk at his former lover turned apparently reluctant working partner instead of letting down his patented mask. "Or what Chang? You'll kill me?"  
  
"I'll leave you to this mission alone. I've had enough of your antics and those of that so-called policing agency." Wufei shot back instantly. "Answer or I'll walk, and laugh as the world falls to another mindless, needless war." The more he talked, the freer he seemed to feel, the nausea fading rapidly as Wufei recognized the truth in his treats. He would willingly walk away from the Preventers and from the life and peace he had built in the post-Eve War era if he didn't get his answers. And he would have no qualms leaving one Heero Yuy to shoulder the complete, acute blame. "Its high time you answered for your actions Yuy. I've had it to Hell and back with being the only one having to do so."  
  
Heero blinked in surprise at the forcefulness and blatant honesty presented in Wufei's tone and words. He knew in that moment that Wufei would do so without looking back, and he'd lose his last chance.  
  
"Yuy!" Wufei snapped when Heero continued to stare in shock, horror and awe. "I'm far from joking. Answer me, damn-it!"  
  
Heero knew that he was and that he should answer, but all he couldn't think of anything to say. So he simply said nothing at all. The two stared at one another, Wufei waiting to hear something of an explanation and Heero not knowing what to say.  
  
The door to their cabin opened and both of them turned to look at the flight attendant with an audible snap. The young woman seemed to be oblivious to the tension in the small room as she asked if there was anything that either of them needed. When both signaled negatively, she left with a smile.  
  
Wufei closed his eyes and brought a hand to his nose as he struggled to control his emotions. He'd been so furious with Yuy that he'd almost attacked that woman when she opened the door. That wouldn't have been a good notation on his record, though he could see the headline anyway. "Preventer Prevents Long Life of Flight Attendant!" At the thought, his fury left him, leaving him feeling empty and shaken from the severity of the emotions running through him. With a sigh he admitted to himself why he was acting this way.  
  
He was hurt, plain and simple. Hurt by the way he was walked on and pushed aside by the Preventers, by the people he worked alongside of, people he respected. Hurt by how he'd seemingly been walked on and used by one of the very few people he trusted and respected as family; someone he loved. When Heero had pulled his cards and then left without reason or explanation, it had felt like he'd once again been abandoned by those he needed most. The nightmare-memory of his colony exploding before his eyes had returned nightly after Heero had left. Those dreams coupled with the increased disrespect and disregard from those within the Preventers had left him like this. Beaten and almost thoroughly broken.  
  
But his fury had shown him one thing, if nothing else. The Chang Wufei who had existed prior to his comrades' changes in attitudes still existed, though buried as he was under the beaten man he had become after a year and more of abuse. He would become that man again, even if it would be a difficult trying ordeal. Hell, he'd flown a Gundam and won a war all at the age of fifteen. But first he had to dispel the pain that had grown since Heero's disappearance.  
  
Sighing, he turned to face Heero again, not surprised to see the other man watching him. Wufei didn't bother to hide what he was feeling when he asked, "Why did you do it Heero. That's all I want to know. Why did you do it?"  
  
Silence reigned for the rest of the trip.  
  
End Chapter 2 


End file.
